The Veiled Lady (3 page)

Sergeant Barnum blinked. "I thought you were the JP's top judo man, sir."

"So did I." The colonel picked up his pipe with his sore arm and lit it. "That will be all for today, Sergeant."

"It's enough." Sergeant Barnum saluted and left the colonel alone with his thoughts.

CHAPTER THREE

A soft, warm rain had just stopped. The sun showed up again in the morning sky and fuzzy rainbows flashed in the small oily puddles at the edge of the private airfield. A soot-colored dog hobbled out of the rain-dotted brush beyond the field, came up, and sniffed at a pool of bright water. The dog suddenly cocked its head and hastened back into the brush.

Through the gate in the airfield's cyclone fence a bright-orange compact car, rich with dents and scratches, came rattling. It swayed, squealed a little, changed its course, and came to a halt in a narrow parking area beside a low building with a red-tile roof. After the orange car stopped, it continued rattling for another ten seconds, then gave an explosive gasp and became still.

A big black man in a yellow-and-green dashiki hopped from the driver's seat, beckoning the other two people in the vehicle to disembark. "Safe and sound, right on time," he announced, readjusting his taxi driver's cap.

Tiny birds, whose colors matched the cabdriver's pullover, went fluttering up out of the dozen or so trees bordering the airfield's office building. Off in the brush, the sooty dog barked twice.

Karl Waagener stepped out of the battered cab, grinning. He held out his hand to Jan Love. "I can see what Colonel Weeks meant about this being a dangerous mission," he said. "I didn't think we'd survive this cab ride to our copter field."

Jan had her long blonde hair tied back with a dark ribbon. She wore an olive-tinted pair of aviator-style sunglasses, khaki slacks, and a blouse. "He's not a bad driver actually, only a bit too enthusiastic."

The cab driver unstrapped their luggage from the roof of his orange car. Walking around the cab with some of the bags, he stopped. "That's interesting," he observed. "Lost another fender. Huh."

"I think it was when we went up on the sidewalk to avoid the fruit vendor's bicycle," said Karl, handing more of their equipment down.

Jan said, "I bet it was when we sideswiped that herd of goats on the outskirts of Mawitaan."

The driver shook his head. "I think not, miss. I've sideswiped a good many goats in my day and

11

never lost a fender that way yet." He shrugged. "Well, back to business." After setting their equipment, packs, and luggage on the mosaic tile steps of the airfield office, he told Karl what the fare was.

Jan paid him, adding an extra bill. "And something toward a new fender." She made a note of the amount in her notebook.

Taking the cash, the driver walked toward his cab. "Allow me to wish you good luck," he said.

"From what I overheard of your plans while we drove out here, I'd say you'll need a good deal of luck. , huh?" He jumped into the orange machine and went rattling away.

As the cab shot out through the gate, a jeep came driving in.

Jan, recognizing the colors and insignia of the Jungle Patrol, said, "Don't tell me Colonel Weeks has had second thoughts about our license to explore ."

Karl patted the pocket of his tan bush jacket. "Too late. We've got all the official papers we need for our jaunt."

The tiny yellow-and-green birds had returned to roost in the trees. They scattered away into the clear morning air once more.

Sergeant Barnum parked the JP jeep where the cab had been, turned off the ignition, and wiped at his broad sunburned face with the freckled back of his hand. He smiled over at Doctors Jan Love and Karl Waagener, giving them a lazy salute.

Colonel Weeks, the tall, gray-haired commander of the Jungle Patrol, stepped out of the jeep and came striding over. "I decided to see you off."

"And maybe talk us out of the whole darn thing," said Jan, smiling at the straight-backed colonel.

"I know you can handle yourself in ordinary tough situations, Doctor Love. You've proven that," said the colonel. "What worries me is the fact that things may be far from ordinary down inside the volcano. Frankly, I'd suggest-"

"Frankly," cut in Jan, still smiling at the Jungle Patrol commander, "nothing can change my mind. I appreciate your coming to wish us bon voyage, Colonel" She reached out to take hold of his rough, weathered hand. "Now, good-bye."

The door of the airfield office opened and a long, lean black man looked out. He wore a striped pullover shirt and faded denim trousers. In a holster at his side was a .38 revolver. "Going along on this excursion, Colonel Weeks?"

The colonel studied the pilot for a few seconds.

"No, Gabe," he said. 'Are you going to fly Doctor Love's copter into ?"

"Yes, sir, I am." Gabe nodded at Jan and Karl. "I'm Gabe McClennan, your pilot for this little excursion. Colonel Weeks and I are old friends, aren't we?"

"In a way," said the gray-haired colonel. "I thought Orlando was scheduled to handle this flight."

"He had a sudden attack of appendicitis," explained Gabe. He'd come out on the tile porch, and 12

leaned back against the office door. "Or so his wife said when she phoned in for him." Gabe laughed.

"Personally, I've got a hunch he's afraid of . Which is okay by me. I can use the extra pay and those volcano jujus don't bother me none." He pointed at the pile of luggage and equipment.

"Let's get that stuff stowed," he said to Karl.

While Karl and the copter pilot walked out to the blue-and-silver helicopter sitting on the field, Jan said to the Jungle Patrol commander: "For an old Mend, you didn't seem too cordial to our pilot. Is there something wrong?"

His eyes following Gabe, Colonel Weeks replied, "No, not really. A few years back Gabe was a pretty wild teenager, gave us all a lot of trouble. I have a hunch he may have been involved in a couple of things since then, but there's never been proof." He shook his head and pulled his pipe out of his pocket. "I suppose I ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. As far as I know, he's been clean the past few years and the people here swear by him. He's a very good pilot, nothing to worry about in that department."

Out at the ship Karl turned and waved to Jan. "Time to leave," she said. "Good-bye, Colonel."

"I want you to keep in contact with us by radio from the copter," Colonel Weeks told her. "I've explained all that to Karl."

"If any superstitions rear their ugly heads, I'll give a good yell right into the mike." Jan turned and left the colonel standing on the tile steps.

Slowly the JP commander returned to his jeep. With one foot in the machine, he stopped to watch the girl board the helicopter. "Sergeant," he said.

"Yes, sir?"

"What did Gabe say was wrong with Orlando?"

"His appendix, sir."

The colonel dug the stem of his pipe into his chin. "At the back of my mind, that doesn't quite ring true."

"How come?"

Colonel Weeks frowned and shook his head. "I can't tell you why," he said. "But I have an idea Corporal Gillis might know."

Everyone was aboard the silver-and-blue copter now. Its rotor was commencing to turn slowly, snapping at the air.

"When we get back to headquarters," said the colonel, "tell Gills I want to talk to him."

"You think there's something fishy going on?"

A popping sound grew out of the airship. It swayed, blowing dust. As the rotor became invisible, the copter rose straight up into the morning.

His hand shading his eyes, Colonel Weeks said, "No, probably not. Well, let's get back to headquarters and the radio room. I want to keep in touch with the doctor." He lowered himself into

13

the jeep seat.

The copter was high above them now. It swung toward the south, toward .

Barber nearly filled the little washroom at the rear of his office. He had his soft, slack face near a wall mirror, and was scraping a safety razor over his lathered cheeks. 'Well?" he said out to Tinn.

The weary-looking Chinese was settling into a canvas butterfly chair. "Somebody send you flowers?"

"It's my shaving lotion," said the fat proprietor of the Scarlet Cockatoo. "Did they leave on schedule?"

Tinn tapped his wristwatch. "Right on schedule," he said. "I watched the actual takeoff from the brush behind the field."

"Couldn't you use the office?"

"I didn't want Colonel Weeks to notice me," answered Tinn, slouching further into the wing chair.

"Ouch." A speck of blood showed in the white foam on Barber's left cheek. "What was Colonel Weeks doing at the field?"

"Came to see the girl and her associate off, I assume," said Tinn. "He didn't seem to be upset about anything, although he looked at Gabe funny for a minute there."

Barber held a hot washcloth against his flabby cheek. "We needn't worry about Weeks. He'll be staying here in Mawitaan behind a desk." He dropped the cloth into the basin, and returned to his shaving. "No, things are going quite well. I'm certain Dr. Love knows what's down in that volcano.

All this bull about biological wonders is nothing more than a clever cover story, something to fool feeble-minded bureaucrats like Colonel Weeks." He finished shaving, and washed his face. "And what Doctor Love finds will become ours. Yes, things are going very well indeed."

The tired-looking Chinese rubbed a thumb over an insect bite on his wrist. "What about the Phantom?"

"What?" When Barber sat down in his desk chair, all his pores seemed to sigh.

"Do you think Doctor Love will fool the Phantom, too? Do you think she'll be able to haul the-?"

"Look." Barber grabbed a map from his desktop. "This is a map of Bangalla. You'll notice one thing immediately: Bangalla is a big place, mostly wilds and unexplored jungles and forests. I don't care what simple natives may say about the Phantom. That's only a superstition. Even if he existed, there's no way one man can know everything going on around here. Forget the Phantom myth-relax."

Slumped in his chair, Tinn said, "I am relaxed. I merely brought up the topic of the Phantom because.

"Enough of him." Barber spread the map out and poked at a specific spot with a white pudgy finger.

"This is Llongo country."

"Yes," said Tinn. "So?"

"The Llongo tribe lives very close to ," continued Barber. "You'll be dropped near 14

there this afternoon. You'll join the men I've already got posted in that area. They're lying low in a rundown outpost town. Contact them, then communicate with me. I want to be sure nobody else goes into that volcano-goes in or comes out. And, of course, I want to be notified as soon as there's any word from inside about

"I'm an urban person," complained Thin. "I don't feel good about the idea of going into the jungle."

Barber scowled at him. "Nevertheless, you will go."

"Yes," answered Tinn.

CHAPTER FOUR

Below them now, there was nothing but a matted mass, a thick green tangle stretching out in the afternoon sun. From up in the copter the jungle seemed completely still and silent, a vast patchwork of greens and scarlets and yellows, striped with great bands of deep shadow.

Gradually, the bright colors of leaves and vines and flowers began to blur. Wisps of fine mist were drifting out over the treetops, twisting among the branches.

"There's your famous lady," said Gabe from the pilot's seat. "Coming up ahead."

Jan nodded, not saying anything. She glanced back at Karl, and smiled quietly.

The light of the afternoon grew thinner and hazier. Before them loomed the giant Veiled Lady, her summit shrouded in thick swirls of mist.

The copter rose up, leaving the blurred jungle further below, moving closer to the hollow peak of the ancient volcano.

Jan reached out a slender hand for the radio mike. In a moment, she'd made contact with Jungle Patrol headquarters and Colonel Weeks. "Jan Love here, Colonel Weeks. We're nearly there."

"Listen, Doctor Love," said the colonel, "it's still not too late to turn back." The radio speaker gave his voice a faintly metallic ring. "I really don't think-"

"Colonel, you must know by this time, I have a distinct stubborn streak," cut in Jan. "I wouldn't stop now for anything. Do you read me? Over."

After a few seconds of silence, the JP commander answered,"Yes. We read you loud and clear, Doctor Love. We've got our tape recorder rolling, so you can start describing what you see as you descend. Over."

"Don't be so glum, Colonel," said Jan. "You sound like you're standing by to record my last words.

Over."

"I sincerely hope not. Over."

The jungle had vanished now. There was nothing but thick mist all around their ship.

"Instruments, do your stuff," grinned Gabe, patting the control panel.

The helicopter began swinging gently from side to side, as though it were a pendulum held by a giant

15

hand. The chopping sound of the propeller blades was muffled.

"Hang on, everybody," said Gabe. "I think we're going in.

"Doctor Love, Doctor Love," came the voice of Colonel Weeks. "Are you all right? Please answer.

Over."

"Yes, Colonel," replied Jan into the mike, "we're fine. We've just begun our descent into . I can't give you much of an idea yet about the old girl since the scenery so far consists of nothing but fog, mist, and more fog."

Gabe began whistling the Gershwin song about a foggy day in London. He was still grinning, but a fine film of perspiration had formed on his forehead.

"We're continuing to drop," Jan went on. "Still nothing much to see. The fog and mist have been joined by steam."

In his seat, to the rear of Jan, Karl was frowning out at the surrounding whiteness."That's funny," he said.

Jan glanced back. "What is it,Karl?"

Karl narrowed his left eye, then shook his head. "Oh, probably nothing. I thought I caught a glimpse of something strange off in the mist there. Must have been the light from above playing optical tricks."

"Doctor Love, Doctor Love," sounded the metallic voice of the colonel. "Is everything okay with you? Over."

"Yes, Colonel," answered the girl biologist. "No bogey men have grabbed us yet. We're still dropping down. Can't see a dam thing and we're relying on our radar to avoid hitting the sides."

"Good thing you didn't tell him you were relying on me," said Gabe. "It would really scare him."

"The steam is spewing up all around us," said Jan to the distant Colonel Weeks, "The whole experience so far is something like riding an elevator through a sauna bath. We've now descended to about-"

"Eight thousand feet," supplied Gabe.

"Eight thousand feet," Jan told the colonel. "Which means we're now somewhat lower than the floor level of the jungle outside."

Gabe said, "Instruments indicate we're within one hundred feet of the bottom."

"We'renearly at the bottom of the volcano, Colonel."

Behind the girl, Karl said, "Jan, look, over there. I'm not wrong about it this time."

"Something big is moving toward our copter," Jan told the radio. "Just below us, moving fast. Good gosh, I can see it now!Why, it's a giant b-!"

Colonel Weeks was leaning close to the radio speaker in the Jungle Patrol radio room.

16

From out of the radio came an enormous, rending, smashing sound. Then there was an angry metallic sputtering, followed by dead silence.

"Doctor Love, Doctor Love! What's happened? Over."

Only silence answered him.

CHAPTER FIVE